Robert K. Merton: Quotes about science

Robert K. Merton was American sociologist. Explore interesting quotes on science.

Robert K. Merton: 22 quotes23 likes

“Most institutions demand unqualified faith; but the institution of science makes skepticism a virtue.”

Robert K. Merton book Social Theory and Social Structure

Source: Social Theory and Social Structure

“The last two decades have witnessed, especially in Germany and France, the rise of a new discipline, the sociology of knowledge (Wissenssoziologie), with a rapidly increasing number of students and a growing literature (even a “selected bibliography” would include several hundred titles). Since most of the investigations in this field have been concerned with the socio-cultural factors influencing the development of beliefs and opinion rather than of positive knowledge, the term. “Wissen” must be interpreted very broadly indeed, as referring to social ideas and thought generally, and not to the physical sciences, except where expressly indicated.”

Robert K. Merton

Source: The Sociology of Knowledge, (1937), p. 493

“The ethos of science involves the functionally necessary demand that theories or generalizations be evaluated in [terms of] their logical consistency and consonance with facts.”

Robert K. Merton

Merton (1938) "Science and the Social Order". In: Philosophy of Science Vol 5, nr 3, p. 326